


because these two were made for each other (and they belong to nobody else)

by dontstraytoofar



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff, Romance, enjoy these idiots, this was an excuse to write a coffee shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 20:03:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9287672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontstraytoofar/pseuds/dontstraytoofar
Summary: She comes in every Monday, she wears clothes that closely resemble a camp councillor. Shorts, a t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up and sunglasses on her head. And Leslie always notices how she prefers to keep her hair the same. Short, slightly curled, but still, super neat.Leslie tells herself that no, that’s not creepy to know that. At all. She’s appreciating a beautiful woman who smiles at her and waves each time she comes into the cafe. A woman whose eyes crinkle at the edges whenever she smiles. She has the kind of laugh lines onlygenuinelaughter could bring.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I really super wanted to write a coffee au with these two. but i didn't want it to be the same as so many (great) other fics i've read! and this has been in my head for a LONG time. I hope you all enjoy!

 

 

She comes in every Monday, she wears clothes that closely resemble a camp councillor. Shorts, a tshirt with the sleeves rolled up and sunglasses on her head. And Leslie always notices how she prefers to keep her hair the same. Short, slightly curled, but still, super neat. Leslie tells herself that no, that’s not creepy to know that. At all. She’s appreciating a beautiful woman who smiles at her and waves each time she comes into the cafe. A woman whose eyes crinkle at the edges whenever she smiles. She has the kind of laugh lines only  _ genuine  _ laughter could bring. 

She never orders anything, and from where Leslie is behind the coffee machine she can always see how she takes out a notepad, sits by the window under hanging plants, and just..writes. Or draws, maybe. She reads the newspaper, drinks from a water bottle, hell, sometimes Leslie even sees her just on her phone scrolling.

Maybe the woman likes the cafe, how it smells like coffee and polished wood and the sound of chattering people. Maybe she likes how Leslie, as co-manager, decided to hang plants in little pots and add windows in the front, opening the cafe to sunlight and warmth.

It could be a mixture of things, who knows. But everytime she walks in, catching Leslie’s smiling eyes, Leslie wishes just for  _ once  _ she’d order a coffee. Heck, a muffin? Scone? Donut?

But Leslie just smiles back, taking one hand from the froth machine to wave, as the other woman ducks her head biting her lip, taking her favourite seat by the window.

And it goes like that, for months Leslie has a brief moment of sunshine. Then she’s gone, staring out a window onto the Pawnee streets, but for Leslie, and it might be sad -- but her entire shift is happier. Brighter. She makes coffee’s twice as fast each time.

And on the days it torrential rains; Leslie doesn’t even think  _ twice _ about how she has to walk nearly three miles home.

  
  


 

 

-

 

The next day, Leslie just thinks “fuck it” 

And maybe she’s a little awkward, because this  _ is  _ the first time a woman has made her feel this way. Giddy. Excited. Almost bouncing while cleaning dishes in the cafe with apprehension. 

Leslie thinks they could be best friends, hey, even just friends she’ll take.

But the woman could easily just smile politely, ignore Leslie’s words, and continue writing. She’s kinda okay with that, each to their own, but the thought does strangely just make her...sad.

So Leslie flicks the table cloth onto her shoulder, about to go clean tables, when a soft and polite voice travels from behind her. It’s almost shy, like the ocean meeting the shore. But Leslie notices how very, very quiet it is.

 “Hey”

It just makes her smile wider that when she turns around, the voice belongs to mysterious window writer.

Leslie smiles back, walking up the counter with a “Hey! What can I get for you?”

The other woman bites her lip to contain a smile, so focused on Leslie’s face, for a moment Leslie thinks she has leftover lasagne on her lip from lunch break.

But the other woman just holds tighter to the book in her hands at the front of her body, and speaks. Slow, soft and determined. “I was just...going to ask actually. Um-” (Leslie falls for the way she speaks, resigned, awkward, but so,  _ so  _ confident) “Do you...wanna hang out sometime?”

She leaves it with a hopeful lilt in her voice, and Leslie beams. The other woman seems to remember something, sticking out her hand to shake with a nervous smile. “I’m Ann by the way. Ann Perkins”

Leslie takes the outstretched hand, shaking once, smiling at how endearing  _ Ann  _ is. It’s so nice to put a name to a face she’s known for months. And god,  _ Perk _ ins? It’s such a fitting name for a woman who seems to _ ooze _ sunshine. 

 “Leslie! Leslie Knope”

Ann smiles, takes her hand back and repeats with a smile. “Leslie? That’s a beautiful name”

And  _ maybe  _ Leslie blushes slightly at that, maybe Ann and the way she speaks has Leslie head over heels for a woman she hardly knows.

But she thinks, why does it matter? Ann’s here. Ann came when Leslie was about to waltz over and ask the same thing. So she smiles at the compliment, and asks as an order is placed for a spiced latte to go.

 “In answer to your question before Ann Perkins, I would love to” Ann nods to the words, then smiles, eyes lighting up in this endearing excited way. And Leslie goes about making coffee, excusing herself briefly as she talks behind her shoulder at the coffee machine. The foamer making it hard to hear over the chatter of people and the stores bell chiming as others waft in.

 “I’m off work tomorrow! JJ’s waffle house for the best breakfast you’ll ever have?”

Ann nods again, smiles and repeats. Leslie’s noticed this, but just finds it to be Ann’s way of making sure of things. “Breakfast at JJ’s? Sounds perfect!”

And Leslie watches how she holds to her book, smiles to a smiling Leslie, and leaves a piece of paper on the counter, waving goodbye at the cafe’s doors. Leslie waves back, shoves the paper in her pocket with her free hand, and thinks that maybe, just maybe -- for the first time in her life, waffles will be the second thing on her mind.

  
  
  


-

 

 

 

  
  


She’s late. 

_ Oh my god oh my god oh my god. _

Leslie has never tapped at a street crossing button harder before in her entire life.   

 “Hurry up, hurry up” She bounces on her toes, muttering under her breath as the light goes green to walk. She practically sprints across the street, JJ’s diner in view from across the way. And Leslie breathes a sigh of relief, checking her phone time as 10:13 am blinks back at her as she opens the diner doors, the bell above her clinking.

_ Okay. Don’t freak. Only thirteen minutes late. It’s fine, everything's okay, you’re not dead. _

The past few days have  _ really  _ tested her heart rate. After gathering up the courage to just  _ message  _ Ann, agreeing on 10am being a perfect breakfast date time, Leslie isn’t going to put it past her that she’ll probably go into cardiac arrest after her first bite of waffle.

But then she see’s Ann (rather, the back of her head) sitting in a booth. And considering she had months to study it, Leslie calls out in relief, jogging up behind her with her jacket in hand. “Ann!”

At first, it makes Leslie frown when Ann doesn’t immediately turn around. And it’s only when Leslie touches her on the shoulder, smiling as she rounds the booth, does Ann lighten up and smile in recognition up to her.

_ Huh. Weird. _

But Leslie just chalks it down to how distracted Ann can get. How focused and in a little world of her own she can be. But Ann still smiles, putting away her notebook in favour of Leslie’s attention. 

 “Leslie! Hey,”

And Leslie thinks, as she sits down, that Ann is probably the most beautiful person she’s ever met. She got rid of her camp counselor look in favour of a soft blouse and shorts, Leslie notices how light her makeup is, freckles dotting the bridge of her nose.

She’s probably being weird staring like she is with a soft smile, but as Ann continues talking, Leslie gestures to a waiter for a menu as they both settle.

 “Oh! You don’t have to worry about that,” And Leslie watches how Ann blushes, her words still soft and slow. “I uh, kinda ordered already for us both? Unless you don’t...like triple decka waffles. Then-”

And Leslie beams, leaning her arms on the booth table. “How in the world do you know me so well already? You, Ann Perkins, are something else”

It makes Ann bite her lip in that endearing way, and Leslie then almost falls out of the booth as she remembers. Making Ann startle with a laugh. “Oh my god. I totally forgot. I am  _ so  _ sorry for being late, my neighbour, for some reason, owns a turtle? Anyways it got out so I had to spend my morning chasing it out from my bedroom  _ which _ just ended in me falling over my lounge and nearly breaking my foot.  _ Then _ ,”

Leslie then deflates, watches how Ann has a small frown marring her features as she listens, and winces. “Oh man. I’m boring you, aren’t I?”

And in the next moment, Ann blinks, seems surprised at the sudden change in Leslie’s demeanor, and then shakes her head with a smile as waffles and pancakes are set down in front of them.

Leslie smiles sheepishly, already squirting whipped cream over the entire thing.

 “No, not at all Leslie. It’s just that-” And Ann laughs at how intent Leslie is on her words, but also how she tries to eat waffles while still looking at Ann. It’s harder than you think. She misses three times.

And Leslie laughs along with her, and she can say Ann’s voice and giggle is her favourite sound. She opts to put her waffles down in favour of Ann, and gives her undivided attention.

 “Sorry, you were saying?”

They dissolve their little laughing bubble, and Ann seems to fidget, nervousness crawling up her skin.

 “I was going to say that...it wasn’t, at all, your story that made me frown. It’s just that- I’m, well,” And Leslie listens with rapt attention, to her slow soft words, to how Ann plays with her food and shyly looks down. Blowing out air as she blushes.

 “I’m partially deaf? Words are really blurry and muffled to me. So...I’m, quite slow at reading lips still. And you talk, well,  _ really  _ fast and-” Ann laughs nervously, waving her free hand in explanation as she looks up to Leslie, only to find the most understanding and beautiful gaze Ann has ever seen. “Sometimes it’s just...hard to focus and uh, figure out,”

Ann takes a deep breath, and her voice seems to quieten even more than usual as she continues. “What you’re saying.”

And Leslie? Her gaze softens, to this look of pure adoration and is it weird to look at Ann like that? Sure they’ve known each other for  _ months,  _ but those were smiles and waves, not conversations and waffles and early morning happiness.

Ann nervously bites her lip, and Leslie bites into her waffle. It surprises Ann how nothing has changed, nothing is different. It’s just Ann and Leslie and sweet food. It makes her heart warm. It makes everything that she is somehow  _ okay.  _ After decades of ridiculement for her slow, soft voice and hearing impairment, Leslie is this welcoming break, this amazing refreshing Spring breeze.

The woman across from her points with her fork to Ann frowning softly, and in some weird way, some endearing way that makes Ann nearly burst in happiness, Leslie just pours more whipped cream and says; “Well beautiful Ann, you’re missing out on one  _ sexy  _ voice”

It makes Ann snort a laugh, roll her eyes, and steal a bite from Leslie’s waffle. Making her gasp an offending “Hey!” as Ann smiles around the bite. Both their laughs dissolve in the small diner, and everything just...falls into place.

Ann knows she’d love Leslie’s voice, she knows, that even now, she’d want to hear her laugh over any great symphony ever made.

  
  


-

 

 

 

 

Leslie  _ insists  _ to walk Ann home; even though her house is only two blocks away. 

Ann smiles though, delighted to spend more time with the women who rivals the sun in her energy. After revealing how hearing comes much harder to her, Leslie just smiled and consciously made her words easier to understand. It usually would annoy and anger Ann, strangers asking _ “Is...it...better...if I talk...this...slooow?”  _ whenever they realised Ann was having trouble understanding their fast words.

But Leslie does it in this way that isn’t mocking, or rude, or inconsiderate. She just makes her speeches less rambly and naturally fast. And it lights Ann’s chest up with this spark, this undeniable feeling that Leslie is something  _ special. _

But on the other hand, in the middle of one of those energetic speeches, Ann smiles and says “It’s okay Leslie. You can ramble” Which received a blinding smile and chipper “Okay!” that had Ann grinning and both woman walking on their way. Because Ann likes how light Leslie’s eyes get when she gets passionate. How alive she looks when she speaks about becoming councilwoman and joining government as a job.

The cafe is just a means of money, but Ann likes that about her. How much she believes in herself.

Leslie links their arms as they round Ann’s street, and the cold Autumn air can do nothing to quell the warmth in Ann’s chest.

 “What about you? What are your amazing Ann Perkin plans for the future?”

Ann snorts, shakes her head and shrugs. “Well...”

And Leslie stops, spinning Ann around with a raised eyebrow. “Oh come on. I told you mine! Let me guess,” Leslie continues walking, dragging Ann with her, and she’s surprisingly okay to just follow the other woman. “Teacher?”

Ann shakes her head after reading Leslie lips, and the other woman almost deflates; snapping her fingers and frowning. “Damn. You gave off some real Miss Honey vibes”

It makes Ann chuckle, and she watches how Leslie brightens up after making her smile.

 “Hmm. Oh! It  _ has  _ to be an author. You write all the time!”

Ann blushes at that, smiling sheepishly and shrugging. She has to really focus on reading Leslie that time, sometimes the other woman can get so excited her lips move the speed of light. “Kinda. I write as a hobby”

Ann can see her house from where they are, and disappointment courses through her. It wouldn’t be weird to invite Leslie in, would it?

But before she can, Leslie perks up, almost  _ bouncing  _ still attached to Ann’s arm. “Please please  _ please  _ can you show me some?”

And Ann shrugs shyly with a smile, and Leslie brightens impossibly more as Ann speaks. “I’m assuming you said ‘please’ a thousand times. I couldn’t catch the rest.” And ends it with a joking laugh.

But Leslie bites her lip in embarrassment as they walk up the street still coated in sunlight. Saying “Oh. Shoot. Sorry” with the most sincere puppy dog eyes.

Ann almost melts, but opts to shrug, smiling as they make it to her walkway. “It’s okay. I’d love to show you some. And in answer to your other question; a nurse. I’d  _ love  _ to be one. Just uh- helping people...ya know? Like other people helped me ever since-”

And Ann then shuts her mouth with a click, throat closing up, as Leslie looks to her worriedly. “Oh uh, sorry,” Ann nervously laughs. “Frog in my throat.”

It’s the lamest excuse in history, but Leslie seems to get it. She just smiles and holds tighter to Ann’s arm, walking the walkway to Ann’s front door. “It’s all good. I’m guessing this is your house? Otherwise we’re illegally trespassing on our first date”

It makes Ann laugh, and her chest is lifted from the weight that was placed there moments ago. “This is a date?”

Ann says it in her usual soft, slow voice, in a joking manner. But Leslie gets shy suddenly, biting her lip as Ann fishes out her front door key. “If you want it to be?”

Ann’s eyes soften, her door opens with a click, and her words make Leslie not a sun, but a supernova. Almost exploding with a radiance Ann has never seen before. “Of course. Does this mean there’s a follow up?”

Leslie smiles, nods, and puts her hand in the pockets of her jacket like they’re in highschool again. “Definitely”

 “You...wanna come in? I have Netflix and cold pizza?”

If Ann’s voice could get any softer, topped with shyness and years of ridiculement that have made her sink farther into a shell, Leslie would have to step so they were chest to chest to hear what she was saying. But she catches it. Plain as the setting sun. And says “Sure, cheese or pepperoni?” as Ann smiles.

The front door shuts with a click, and the house lights flicker on to the sound of their happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Ps. Being someone who has deaf members of my family, it just felt good to represent it in fic writing, even though a small audience, it still felt nice :) 
> 
> Follow up to this one shot? Maybe? We'll see! x


End file.
